Visit Sicily to see Mount Etna.

Typhon's greatest outburst of rage came in 1669, when Etna burned down ten villages and the city walls of Catania. While Typhon's anger ensured his lasting memory, Etna became famous among travelers seeking to explore the world for its natural grandeur.

NThe beautiful daughter of Sicily

After visiting fairytale cities in Europe, I decided to challenge myself. After much consideration, I chose Sicily – a beautiful, historically rich island in southern Italy. The great poet Goethe once said:"Visiting Italy without setting foot in Sicily is like not having visited Italy at all, because Sicily is the source of countless questions."Like a final arrow striking the tiny traveler, this majestic volcano made me willingly surrender a part of my heart to the fascinating land of Sicily.

Etna is one of the world's 16 volcanoes of the decade (the most important volcanoes for studying their history and eruption activity) and one of the few volcanoes that are always in a state of continuous activity. This highest volcano in Europe (Etna is 3,350 m) is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the large island of Sicily. Etna is also known as Muncibeddu, which in Sicilian means "beautiful mountain." Indeed, Etna is like a beautiful but very proud woman; therefore, before embarking on this journey, I knew I needed the utmost patience, resilience, and endurance.

Cconquer thosechallenge

To reach Etna, I started with a bus from the central station of Catania, Sicily's second largest city after Palermo. The bus traveled for two hours, circling the foothills and gradually ascending to the Rifugio Sapienza station. Along the way, a few houses, buried in dust by previous volcanic eruptions, peeked out from behind winding curves and low-lying trees. The next leg of the journey involved a cable car system connecting Sapienza station to the mountainside at an altitude of 2,500 meters. Twice, in 1971 and 2001, Etna, like a queen awakening, erupted in fury, destroying the entire cable car system.

Stepping out of the cable car, strong gusts of wind lashed against my face like a "welcome" to visitors to Etna! For the final stretch, visitors can either follow a specialized Jeep tour or hike to the summit. However, I mentally encouraged myself that with such breathtaking scenery, a specialized Jeep tour is probably only for those who aren't willing to challenge themselves!

Because it contains constantly burning lava, the soil on Etna is a smooth, black color; not a single tree grows on the towering mountain. In the world of this proud, icy maiden, there is only the black of the gravel, the white of the snow, and the blue of the sky. I silently followed the passionate climbers, moving stealthily in silence, occasionally stopping to gaze, breathe in the air, and gently lift my camera lens as if afraid of disturbing the Gypsy beauty. The distance of over 500 meters above sea level might seem simple, but it was actually quite challenging. Navigating the winding paths around the mountain, slowly clinging to large ice floes, and hiding as bulky Jeeps rumbled by—these are memories etched into my mind, memories I will never forget, no matter how many other places I travel to in the future.

To climb to the summit of Etna, you'll need about two hours, and there will be times when you feel breathless, wanting to give up and wait for help. But you have to keep going, because you can probably only buy a round-trip Jeep ticket; once you want to stop, there's no way to get back down except your numb feet. The further you go towards the end of the journey, the steeper the path becomes, and with high air pressure, even breathing requires complete concentration. My companion seemed to notice my exhaustion, constantly trying to lift my spirits with jokes, but only receiving smiles in return because I was too busy saving my energy for the steep climb ahead. Unlike the warm, even somewhat hot, winter weather of the cities at the foot of the mountain, the temperature at the summit of Etna is very low, so those wishing to conquer Etna need to bring warm clothing, scarves, wool hats, and of course, a pair of snow-resistant, fur-lined hiking boots.

Finally, after two hours of arduous climbing, I reached the summit of Europe's highest volcano. With its swirling, hot lava flows, Etna constantly releases smoke into the air, even on the calmest days. From the majestic summit of Etna, I felt myself melting into the white clouds; the entire western region of Sicily stretched out before me, the enormous cable car system appearing like tiny ants scattered across the landscape, and in the far distance, the endless, deep blue ocean. Moments like these, when you hold your breath before the breathtaking beauty of nature, are undoubtedly worth the long journey of thousands of kilometers to conquer Etna.

While the ascent was filled with wind, snow, and challenges, the descent was leisurely and relaxed. Around midday, the sun began to peek out from behind the mountain peak, its gentle rays melting the small ice shards, which trickled down the Jeep tracks still visible on the ground. The entire climbing group descended to the cable car station, enjoying hot cups of tea and coffee, enthusiastically discussing the beauty of Etna like young men fulfilling their dream of seeing their girl.

Besides Etna, the main volcano, to the left of Sapienza station are two other relatively low-lying but dormant volcanoes. Tourists can visit both of these volcanoes to learn about the geological structure inside the volcanoes. Although the trip to Mount Etna only lasts one day, it will certainly be one of the most memorable experiences for any traveler. If you always crave challenging and adventurous trips, make sure the beautiful Etna is on your list of places to conquer.

Additional information

+ Journey: From Vietnam, you can travel to Rome or Milan, Italy by flights with Qatar Airways or Emirates Airline. Then, travel to Sicily by train with Treinitaly or by plane with Alitalia or RyanAir.

+ Tour Program: For more information on the activities and tour itinerary for conquering Mount Etna, please visit: www.etnaexcursion.it and choose a tour of suitable length, with prices starting from 75 EUR. Alternatively, if you prefer to explore Etna independently, you can find climbing route guides on the website: www.etnatracking.com

+ Weather: In some European countries and Italy, winter ends after March, and good weather is ideal for conquering Mount Etna.

+ Note: You should start your trip in the morning before the snow melts for easier movement and more time to enjoy the scenery. You need to prepare good, waterproof hiking shoes to avoid catching a cold. Also, you should bring extra food for lunch as there will be no restaurants or eateries along the way.

Nhung Nguyen